I should have taken more photos at Creative Escape (this is
my thought EVERY YEAR)

I should have typed something up each night for the blog…cause
now I am totally overwhelmed.

I really want to share my thoughts and feelings about how
Creative Escape went…

maybe you heard by now how AMAZING it was... and how our Charity fund raiser for the Lymphoma/Leukemia Society went... if not.. hang in!

(not a great picture... but you get the idea; maybe you saw them on the Ce blog)

here is a closer look at my lamp:

here is a look at Tim's...

I'll fill you in on what happened later!

if you were at CE.. and you have posted photos to your facebook... please share them with me!! i'd love to see CE through your eyes...

but today is totally a recovery day. behind on laundry,
groceries, cleaning, unpacking and fundamentally paying attention to each of
one of the people in my family. phew… exhausting.

So… I AM working on:

a
great big huge CE summary w/ a few photos and inspirations

a
calendar of all the places that I will be teaching through the end of the year…dates,
and places… including stores in: Tucson, Cave Creek, Chandler, AZ; Rigby,
Idaho, TX (dallas and Houston), S. Dakota and Florida… AND SALT LAKE CITY

I am quite impressed w/ how my kids have handled all the
change and moving… they seem to just roll with it! this morning was smooth…
(i guess going to school where everyone speaks english is easy!) everyone popped out of bed, excited and READY to get back into a routine! Love
that. the only casualties were Capri and Connor who just don’t like being left
out of anything! Especially anything that involves leaving them behind!

I have been evaluating my scrapbooking goals and methods… I
have had to decide what I like to do best… how I want my albums to be- and what
I ENJOY! I have been looking back through all my albums, and I have decided to
go back to scrapbooking 8 ½ x 11 pages. For so long I have just done a variety
of sizes and types of pages, but I think that the pages that I have loved
looking back on the best are the double page 8x11 spreads that really tell a
story- juicy journaling and lots of photos… looking back has really super
charged my desire to make scrapbook pages. I got 193 4x6 photos developed
today- feels great to have a big stack of photos that I could totally divide
into individual scrapbook pages. I got started tonight because I have been
dying to play with one of the new kits at House of 3… if you have a boy in the
house, then you have to catch these ‘Vitamin B’ kits that Rhonna created!We have been talking about some extreme
sport vibe art, and this just fits the bill perfectly…

School starts for my kids WEDNESDAY (today) morning, and we met all
the teachers monday, and I think it’s going to be a GREAT year! To celebrate
the last day of summer, we went to the Gateway to catch a movie- we even got a
babysitter for the little ones… we wanted to see “Shorts”… I hate to tell you
that I was TOTALLY disappointed with it. it has some funny parts, but wait
until it hits Redbox to rent it… for sure.

Ok, heading to bed… after we get the kids off to school, I
am on a flight to AZ for Creative Escape! I’ll be sharing photos and twittering
from the festivities!

We just spent the weekend up at my Grandpa’s cabin…from
where we live now, it’s about 50 miles away- and one of the BEST parts of
moving to Utah. I absolutely LOVE it there… it’s the ultimate mountain getaway-
the cabin itself is almost 50 years old. The trees have grown so much, that you
have to know right where it is to even see it from 100 yards away. It’s SUPER
rustic…which is nice because you don’t have to be too uptight about the kids
running in and out and everyone just kicking back! I love it so much. This weekend
my brother and sister and their families came up as well, and we had SO much
fuN!. great food- all the
traditional favorites… corn on the cob, hamburgers… big breakfast of pancakes,
bacon etc etc etc. it’s just the best! I even sat on the couch and watched 2 different movies
without working at the same time! such a great time. this morning when I walked
out from the backdoor, this brightly colored moth caught my eye… I have never
seen anything like this! Check it out- it’s like a mixture of giraffe print and
cheetah print!A VERY stylish
moth!

Lots to do still to get ready for Creative Escape… this will
be a busy week! going to get a good night’s sleep! Happy Monday everyone!

i am SO irritated… Tuesday morning, I got up and totally
wrote up this long blog post about all the stuff I’d been up to… I posted it,
activated all my links, and then I must have gotten distracted, and not hit
‘save’… wrote a couple emails, and closed my computer as I jetted out the door
to go to I scrap AZ to teach my Energy Journal class… I didn’t realize that I
didn’t save until last night. BUMMER!I’ll have to recap later, and introduce you to the awesome stores I
visited!

I had a great trip to AZ;I was HOPPIN’.I felt like I was either driving to a store, teaching or preparing to
teach… but I have to admit, I had a BLAST doing it! I made tons of new friends…that
is what I love about it. Tuesday night 5 different rep groups pulled together
about 75 vendors and created a little mini CHA show for the stores they service
in the Southwest: New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada. It was absolutely amazing.
They asked me to speak, and while I was excited and flattered, I was SO
nervous…and worked and worked on my presentation… by the time it came to speak,
I had changed it a few times, and what came out of my mouth, was even a final
revision…I was thankful to be there, and asked. I think that the preparation
and thinking, and planning for my presentation benefited me 100x more than
anyone else. It was just what I needed to hear. So thank you to Janna and
Kristan- and all the rest of you for that opportunity!

I arrived home yesterday (Wed) to a family very happy to see
me…you’d think I’d been gone for weeks! We goofed around most the afternoon,
did a little school shoe shopping (my kids will all go back to school in
Converse all-stars) and then spent the evening w/ my brother’s family having
dinner and playing, and essentially putting off the inevitable…unpacking and
organizing my studio.

I am the type that I can’t allow my brain to be creative
until all my ‘work’ is done… house work I mean… I can’t scrapbook or create
until the dishes are done, laundry folded, floors swept, toys put away etc. So
the 15 boxes that have been stacked up in my “office” have been an absolute
creative road block. I tried to just shove stuff here and there to get it out
of the way- just put it somewhere ‘for now’, but it’s time. I decided to get
after it today, and you know how it goes… it gets MUCH worse before it gets
better. I did manage to unpack ALL the boxes that were piled up. I went through
every inspiration bin, every container, every zip lock bag and purged,
organized, selected the placement of every button, brad, ribbonand stamp. I filled my drawers, and my
shelves and I got so much done! I am feeling energized by the progress, and SO
looking forward to being able to get busy.

Here’s a couple things to check out:

This year at CE, we are doing a fund raiser for the Lymphoma
Society- we asked past and present teachers to decorate a cheap, little lamp
from IKEA. the results: AMAZING! (and delightful)… if you want to check them
out… you can see the little slide show of all the lamps here. (you will have to
scroll down a bit). SO much fun.

I have a WHOLE bunch of dates and places to announce where I
will be this fall (all the details coming soon!)… and I just got an email from
Alicia King who owns Scrapalicious in Rigby, Idaho.

The dates for the events are Oct. 2-3, and space is very
limited… I will be teaching at a FUDGE shop called ‘Heidi’s Fudge’ How perfect
is that? I have 3 classes on the docket, so check it out on her blog, and get
yourself registered! Everyone that is registered by September 1st,
2009 will be entered into a very special drawing to win some House of 3 Wall
Art and tote… as well as breakfast with ME Saturday morning! (a few other
little perks included as well) so HURRY and register!

I taught at Paper Vineyard in Chandler, AZ on Monday night
and I had a blast… this store had a great ‘feel’. The staff and owner are
amazing… so check it out… they have posted some fun photos from the class on
their blog. check it out! the Summer book that I taught was SO fun!(I owe you girls photos… they are
coming!)

*We have some really RAD stuff getting ready to launch at
House of 3… so stay tuned! We are also working on a little something fabulous for Ali Edward's class at Big Picture Scrapbooking... so ck that out.

*
One more week to Creative
Escape!! Make sure you downloaded the CE minibook (available on the CE blog)

*
And here is another little
video created by Scrapbook.com starring ME! you’ll love this one! I filmed
three more little videos when I was in AZ, so watch for those! ENJOY!

*my folks have been in Fiji for a little more than a week now... if you want to peek into their mission adventures, you can read about it here... she's been a good blogger this week!

so right before i left AZ, i worked with my friends at Scrapbook.com to create a series of short little videos that highlight some of my favorite products and techniques! this one is brand new , (go take a peek!) and is a FABULOUS technique! if you are coming to see me at Mad Scrappers this Saturday, we'll be creating this in class!! FUN FUN! -(you can see more of the videos i 'starred' in by clicking onto the VIDEO section on the Scrapbook.com website... if you 'search' by heidi swapp, you will find a whole bunch of videos that they have linked to on their site, as well as the ones i filmed there on site.)

i just got the email newsletter... if you are NOT signed up for the Scrapbook.com newsletter... i totally recommend that you jump on board...(SIGN UP HERE) they do such a great job, and work really hard to provide really great deals for their customers! this newsletter has TONS of great info... this is a GREAT place to stay in the LOOP!

and lookie at this:

a House of 3 'gift w/ purchase'... from scrapbook.com. so cool. they are not only offering a FREE set of wall art with a $20 purchase, but ALSO killer deals on the lamp and chandelier! so GO check it out. their stock will go fast!(watch the little videos i did, and you'll know just what to do w/ $20!!!)

little NOTE (my mistake): sometimes i am SO DUMB!! i try to work a little too fast, and do a little too much. so i have to make a clarification/correction. on AUGUST 17th - that is THIS COMING MONDAY... i will be teaching at a store called Paper Vineyard in Chandler, AZ. I will be teaching for the first time the 'Carefree Summer' book.. that has been featurd on the House of 3 blog, and my blog... we're just amping it up a bit w/ paints and stamping etc. it's a GREAT project, and i think she mentioned there are 4 more spots. anyway.. in the little video invitation that i created for her blog i say that the class is SEPT 17th, and it's NOT... it's AUGUST 17th! So if you are interested.. you better give her a call quickly to sign up! SO SORRY FOR THE mistake... whew!

I found myself browsing through my iphoto library today for a few quiet moments.(gasp, a quiet moment??) I am working on a couple of big projects…2 of which are still in the ‘mental’ part of the creative process, and I was scrolling through the last 2 years of my life in pictures trying to some how capture my thoughts and emotions. The last few days, I have been going back through old albums pulling out random pages as I am preparing for a special little presentation I am giving at Creative Escape. I have been filled with emotion as I have stepped into the ‘time machine’ I like to call my scrapbook library. I have laughed and cried, over and over. I look and notice the resemblance between my older kids, and the current looks of Capri and Connor. I marvel at how much has transpired, and how fast time seems to pass. I am grateful for the things I have written, for the images I have captured and the time I took to create pages upon pages of precious memories.

As I read the insight, and descriptions I have written, I am constantly amazed that I didn’t remember thinking or feeling that. without these pages- these photographic journal entries, those thoughts would have been lost. It’s inspiring me, and motivating me to be even more attentive to my passion, and my favorite pastime of scrapbooking --I think it’s important. I love taking the time to collect my thoughts, and put them down on paper. I love telling the story, and trying to create a scrapbook page that takes you back to that time. I don’t consider myself an exceptional photographer. And a lot of the time, I am disappointed that I didn’t work harder at getting better photos, or more- or missing someone etc etc. but today, as I was looking through the photos I have taken this summer, I was delighted. And in a way amazed at all that has been crammed in! truth: I felt a little validated for feeling completely exhausted, and needing to re-group. I have SO many scrapbook pages I want to create. I decided to do some journaling… just the regular kind… pen and paper. I got out a brand new notebook, and a mechanical pencil (cause I really like to write in pencil)…and started jotting down my thoughts and feelings. Some of the photos prompted bullet points. Some I remembered quotes that people had said. Others, I just spewed my personal feelings. Again, I found myself laughing and crying. This summer has been full of every emotion. I would like to continue this exercise- and I thought that I’d encourage you to do the same. Write something down. The Highs, and the lows. But most of all… the Gratitude. As I have shared with those of you who have been in my ‘energy journal class’… expressing and feeling gratitude is ‘free’ energy that fills you and strengthens you. looking back through my SB pages, and my photographic representation of my recent past has filled me with overwhelming gratitude. Take a minute. Look back! Enjoy…

i woke up this morning totally full of energy and determination- truth: it's been a WHILE since i felt that way! i have had a hard time being motivated to unpack some of the last boxes, and really, just tired and unmotivated in general! everything has seemed SO hard, and exhausting. i am hoping that i am just starting to feel more rested, and my mentality is experiencing some clarity! YAY!

My folks left today for Fiji where they will be serving their mission. they were so clam, and organized getting everything together! My sister and I worked to put together an 18 month 'scrapbook calendar' for them to take with them. Here are the pages that i created... i just kept them simple!

I then used the DIY calendar kit from House of 3 and House Dingbats font to create the calendar bottoms, along with a black sharpie to fill in the months and numbers! it turned out so cute! i almost didn't want her to take it! we made the pages 9x9, and then bound the pages into an album using my pink Bind it all! SO fun!

i LOVEd these MM puffy stickers: here they are in pink and here to match the 'chillin' line

if you are anything like me, it's hard to find cool boy stuff. i love thestreet smarts stuff- the Street Smart line is on sale at Scrapbook.com right now- great deals!

i can always find uses for my VERB STICKERS-this package comes w/ black and pink stickers.i have TOTALLY fallen in LOVE with the Kokuyo Dot n Roller permenant adhesive... ok, now i scrapbook a lot. and i HAVE scrapbooked a lot over the years... and quite frankly, i have not enjoyed another adhesive quite this much! it's quick, the applicator is flawless... and the hold is really impressive. i think that we all get kinda partial to our adhesive of choice... i want to invite/challenge you to TRY this!! it's AWESOME!!!i love this pink houndstooth MM paper as well... it's on clearance HERE

So, as Eric and i were focused on unpacking, re-organizing and moving stuff around...the boys who where diligently babysitting Capri and Connor, ran across some PINK halloween hair color... this was the result:good thing i like PINK!!!

It’s late Sunday night, and I am enjoying the quiet, and calm… and contemplating the new week! I am mentally planning and preparing for a very full week! This weekend, we celebrated our sweet Capri’s 3rd birthday! She has been waiting SO patiently for her big day! EVERYONE has had a birthday before her, so she has been well prepared for what to expect on a birthday! When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she told me 1. Balloons tied to the chairs and 2. Polly pockets 3. Pink shoes. We got together at the park and all her Utah cousins, aunts, uncles etc…ate cake and icecream and opened presents. It was pretty low key, and she was tickled! She is at SUCH a cute age. We love her so much. It’s amazing to think that it’s been 3 years- the time has flown by! We also celebrated my Grandpa’s 91st birthday with a big party with all my Aunts, Uncles, cousins and their children. It was so fun to get together and catch up! it was awesome to look around at how the family has grown…and the beautiful, accomplished group of people that I call my family. My grandparents have lived such good lives that have always focused on their family and their faith. I marvel at their strength and sacrifice.. their example of unconditional love, dedication to each other is inspiring, and touching. I thought back to my memories as a child to spending time with my Grandparents-somehow they managed to make every one of us 44 grandchildren feel important and special. I am certainly thankful for the lives they have lived, and the good people they are. Awesome. I was having so much fun chatting, and trying to keep my eye on the kids – I didn’t snap a single photo. (gasp!) Thanks to Kent, and everyone else for the effort put forth to have that get together… it was well worth it!my folks leave Monday for their 18 month mission to Fiji... just got done putting together an 18 month scrapbook (9x9) calendar for them to take with them. Katie helped (did most the pages) and i put it all together using my favorite tool : the Bind-it-All (Zutter). Turned out SO cute... i LOVE making Calendars. they do make GREAT gifts... if you are starting to think about holiday gifts... check out this DIY calendar kit... or this calendar brush kit. You can make it anything- any size! watch for some fun calendar ideas coming in the next week or so! i'll take photos in the morning light.